2009 Media Releases

Lincoln Home Owners To See Flood Insurance Savings

Mayor Chris Beutler announced today that Lincoln homeowners who buy flood insurance will see their premiums further reduced by the City's recent upgrading in the federal Community Rating System. The 2,000-plus policy holders in Lincoln will now save an average of $160 a year through the City's participation in the rating system program, a total of more than $320,000 City-wide.

The Community Rating System rewards cities like Lincoln for taking extra steps to protect residents from floods," Mayor Beutler said. "Lincoln is one of only three cities in Nebraska to take advantage of the program. Our City has a better rating and receives a greater premium reduction than 95 percent of the more than 1,200 cities nationwide that participate.

The Mayor commended the Building and Safety Department and the Watershed Management Division of the Public Works and Utilities Department for their work with the Community Rating System. The program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides lower premiums for property owners who have flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and are located in a participating city.

Lincoln has been active in the Community Rating System since October 1991. A City's rating is based on activities in four areas - public information, mapping and regulations, flood damage reduction and flood preparedness. "Even those without property in the floodplain benefit from this program," Beutler said. "These floodplain management practices save lives, protect the environment and prevent damage to private property and public infrastructure."

A major reason for the City's upgrade from class 7 to class 6 was the City's work with FEMA to take into account the protection that the Salt Creek levee provides for smaller, more frequent flood events. The class 6 rating provides for a 20-percent premium reduction for those policy holders who have structures in the floodplain, five percent more than the class 7 rating.

The NFIP provides federally backed flood insurance for communities that enact and enforce floodplain regulations. The three goals of the Community Rating System are to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance ratings and promote awareness of flood insurance.